Majority of Dade Schools Back Uniforms for Students

A sizable majority of Dade County, Fla., schools will require
students to wear uniforms next fall, according to preliminary results
of a weeklong vote by school parents.

Of the 96 schools where votes had been tallied last week, 90
supported mandatory uniforms. Another 90 of the district's 300
schools already require them; results from the remaining schools
were not yet available.

"I am not surprised by these encouraging results," said Demetrio
Perez Jr., the school board's vice chairman.

Supporters argue that uniforms ease peer social pressure in schools,
provide a measure of equality and safety, and help cut families'
clothing costs. Mr. Perez described uniforms as "the most critical
issue" in a platform of 25 initiatives that he proposed on his way to
winning a seat in last November's school board elections.

Even in schools that adopt mandatory policies, parents who oppose
uniforms can meet with school administrators and sign waivers to excuse
their children from the program.

New Voting Rules

Dade County has allowed schools to adopt their own uniform policies
since 1995. In March, the school board made it easier for schools to
require uniforms by reducing the necessary approval level from 75
percent of parents to 50 percent plus one.

Earlier this month, the district distributed ballots to every school
that had not already approved a mandatory-uniform policy, including the
66 schools where parents had previously voted to make uniforms
optional.

The ballots were sent home along with students' report cards. Voting
was held April 14-18, with parents receiving as many votes as they have
children in a school. Unreturned surveys were counted as votes against
the uniforms.

Eighty-four of the 96 schools posting results so far were elementary
schools, all but six of which supported mandatory uniforms. Twelve
middle schools also approved a uniform policy.

Ballot tallies had not been announced at any of the district's high
schools, where support for uniforms has been weakest.

By
Ihsan K. Taylor

Web Only

Related Stories

For background, previous articles, and related Web links, please see
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Uniforms.